The Weight of Living
by alovelydisaster
Summary: She thought she was done with Doppelgangers and Originals. Apparently the world has other plans. New Orleans is calling to Caroline to understand the weight of living, especially what it means to an incredibly old vampire. (Canon up to middle of 5x17, AU from there)
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first time posting here, I post on AO3 under treadsoftly also but I think there's a bigger audience for this story on this site but damn this place is confusing. I'm sure I'll get used to it but yeah. So this is my first multi chaptered klaroline fic. Just so you know while reading, I don't care much for TO storyline, no baby plot, idk what I'm doing with Camille or everyone else (apparently people rose from the dead?). but this starts up somewhere in the middle of TVD 5x17, you'll know where it becomes AU.**

**This is an idea that came to me to get Caroline in NOLA because I think it's such a tragedy that the writers don't want to explore Klaroline on screen. I'm hoping it won't be doppleganger-centric, I don't have a defined story line yet so we'll see what happens, I'm just sad Tom had to die so quickly. All the characters mentioned are tentative and will change. This will be very Klaroline centric with (maybe?) lots of yelling and blood and maybe a little working together, you never know. I hope you enjoy! I'm not a fan of this chapter as much, I like the next one I'm working on a lot better.**

**I'm a working, commuting, college student so updates will be sporadic, random, and not scheduled, just a disclaimer. And also, I don't own any of these characters, the CW does of course.**

Spring was upon them. It was in the crisp freshness of the air they didn't need to breathe and the chill the sunlight always seemed to burn away every morning. Dead plants were reawakening and birds began to sing the song of the morning as if rejuvenated. Though Klaus would never outwardly admit it, the colors of spring were some of his favorite to paint.

While winter didn't happen in New Orleans, at least not the sort that paints the town white, a current of cold air sweeps into the city but never stays too long. The sun loves New Orleans too much to relinquish its precious city to the clutches of cold for any longer than necessary. As Klaus roamed the streets, he noticed, pleasantly, the chill hadn't kept anyone in doors. The streets were crowded with people and flooded with alcohol. Patrons drank until the bite of the night pressed against rose cheeks felt like a lovers caress. The moment the sun set, the city came to life, pulsing under streetlights in a way only New Orleans knew how to do.

Klaus stood close to the shadows with a nostalgic grin, overlooking the city he had built and called home for nearly two centuries. A frown slowly formed at the knowledge that this magnificent city now belonged to a protégé he deemed long dead. And now he was determined to take it back despite the angry witches and Marcel's loyal vampires. He had half his family by his side and was missing his light. Nevertheless, he was determined. And being a hybrid was proof that Klaus was nothing if not patient.

His outing that night was called into order for a late night rendezvous with a chirping bird who claimed to have information he wanted. Klaus wasn't one to pass up the chance of possessing anything, but he also wasn't one to pass any one person's assumptions on his desires. This person had to be met.

"Are you just gonna stand there like a creep?"

And his smile fell. He heard her footsteps, her heartbeat, but hoped she was simply a human city goer. Alas, he didn't always get what he wants. "Hayley," he greeted without turning, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "As I recall, you're in enemy territory love." Turning gracefully on his heel, a wicked smile graced Klaus' face. "I must confess a curiosity as to what must be so important that you would be willing to risk that pretty little neck of yours."

"I have information that you may want," she replied, standing a little taller, refusing to be intimidated.

Klaus saw right through it. In his thousand years of living, Klaus could identify every tell when a person was lying or incredibly nervous. And Hayley was frightened. Thought he must admit, she did hide it well. Her heartbeat did however give it all away. New Orleans may not be his yet, but Klaus had to admit, no wolves in the quarter was one of Marcel's rules he'd keep. It did disconcert him not knowing whether or not Hayley's fear came from risking her life in the quarter or speaking to the Original.

Instead of dwelling on it, Klaus smiled to himself, clasped his hands behind his back and stepped forward, unconsciously circling her. "So I've been told." He waited for her to continue. Apparently she needed to be prompted, Klaus thought. "Well, go on then."

Hayley made no eye contact, instead feigning disinterest. She was smart enough to know he liked to play his games, his way. Squaring her chin, she ventured on. "Word on the street is that you've been trying to resurrect your brothers. And take down Marcel."

Pausing, Klaus took a second glance to size Hayley up once more. A few months ago she was nothing more than a lone wolf looking for her family. He had done more than enough for her, he wasn't quite sure why he was still here, listening to her. "That may be the case," Klaus replied dismissively. "What are you here for Hayley?"

"I know people who can help you." The words had barely finished escaping her lips before Klaus chuckled.

A baby wolf wanted to help him, a thousand year old vampire, through an undeclared war. A quick thought on how polished his silver was flashed through his mind before he spoke next. "And I suppose there's something you wanted in return for this information."

"Yes," she answered firmly. "When you take down Marcel, you leave the werewolves alone. We stick to the Bayou but we want to be allowed in the Quarter on our own free will without the risk of death." Before she finished Klaus was standing toe to toe with her, intimidating.

"You seem quite certain that I will in fact conquer my city," Klaus mused.

"If the disaster that was Mystic Falls taught me anything it's that you always get what you want, some way or another."

Klaus hummed in agreement, his lips turning upward once more. "Smart wolf. Now you have five seconds to convince me why such an audacious move on your behalf is warranted before I kill you with your own claws."

"The Travelers-" and Hayley was pressed up against the nearest alley wall before another sigh could escape her lips. Klaus' hand at her throat held her inches from the ground as his hybrid ears heard her skin tearing along the rough, exposed brick.

"What do you know about the Travelers." It was not a question and Hayley would have been a fool to assume so.

"Dark...witches," was all she could manage with her throat constricted and oxygen compromised. Sighing, Klaus loosened his grip to let her speak. "I hear there's a big group of them heading towards Atlanta," she gasped, hoping this would suffice enough that he'd let her go.

"And you are sharing this information because?"

"For peace you psycho hybrid! I just want peace." And just like that he dropped her. "Do we have a deal?" she coughed out, straightening herself out.

"I don't make deals sweetheart," Klaus smirked. "But I must say, thank you for this wonderful piece of information. What a pleasant turn of events."

"Pleasant?"

Klaus hummed in response. "Yes, now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find myself witches that can actually understand my macabre sense of humor."

"You asshole!" Hayley screeched as he strolled away from her. Silly girl, she should know Klaus Mikaelson doesn't make deals or treaties. He breaks them.

**Four Months Later**

Downtown Atlanta was really, really different from Mystic Falls, Caroline noted. People were everywhere, headed in all different directions. They were busy, and in a rush, and all of them were strangers. Caroline couldn't help but feel like big cities were the actual definition of being alone in a crowd. Right beside her strolled Enzo, seemingly basking in the vibe of the city. Though his arm brushed hers more times than she liked, she still felt very alone on this mission.

After the hospital had been a bad lead, they headed to 6643 Peachtree Drive. They headed east, out of Downtown Atlanta and found themselves in a quaint little neighborhood after a few wrong Peachtree Drives proved useless. Their feet carried them along worn down sidewalks with grass peeking out between the cracks, occasionally stepping on fallen leaves. The crunch underfoot was white noise in the background that Caroline had forced herself to grow accustomed to. Instead, she zeroed in on the bungalows they were passing, how many heartbeats she could pick out, or any sort of irregularity that meant something was abnormally out of place.

"It's a normal neighborhood blondie," Enzo spoke, casually taking note of Caroline's tense shoulders. "We're not walking into battle."

"No," she stretched out in agreement, "but we are walking in pretty blind. I just want to make sure we're not walking into a trap or something. I don't really trust the Travelers."

Raising his eyebrows, he chose to ignore her while he spotted the blue bungalow, clearly marked as 6643. "There," he pointed, walking in that direction without waiting for her. "It's a miracle we found this place, every other street in this blasted city is Peachtree."

Approaching the home, Caroline couldn't hear a heartbeat, meaning the home was currently empty. That was good. Or bad. Very, very bad. Instead of sharing this with Enzo, because he should already know, she noted that the mail box was overflowing. "These look old," she commented, lifting them to see their postmark. "Like, four months old," she affirmed with a sigh.

Sharing a look, Enzo knocked in quick succession. With no response, he reached forward to wiggle the knob. "Seventy years in a cage, think I'd learned to pick a lock by now," he sighed, twisting the knob off the door handle. Slowly, the door swung open with a creak that resonated throughout the empty house.

As the stale air wafted out to them, the smell of death hit Caroline immediately. She turned to Enzo and they shared another knowing look. Squaring her shoulders, Caroline took a chance and attempted to step over the threshold. No surprise, there was no barrier. "All right," she assessed. "First red flag, the owner's dead and rotting somewhere in this house."

Enzo slipped past her, eager to see if he could find and dispose of that wretched smell. Caroline hung back, glancing through some photos near the front entrance and along the walls. "This is definitely Hazel's house," Caroline called out after seeing a pretty red head in various pictures. "Or, it was," she corrected with a cringe.

"Well, it looks like someone wanted the doppleganger more than Hazel did," Enzo grimaced, his eyes trained to the living room floor. As Caroline rounded the corner she was met with the sight of what appeared to be Hazel, half decomposed and neck ripped out. That buzzing Caroline was trying so hard to ignore belonged to a myriad of flies floating over her corpse.

Gasping, Caroline could hardly believe that no one had found her yet. "Oh my God, she's been here, dead, for four months!"

"You would have thought the neighbors would have reported a foul odor at least," Enzo scowled, turning away from the decaying corpse. Caroline followed suit to search for any signs of Tom Avery before she called the police to clean up Hazel's body.

"So Hazel was killed by another vampire who wanted Tom," Caroline recounted, trying to get the image of the corpse right behind her out of her head. "And apparently she's a witch?" she questioned, stepping closer to the open grimoire laid out at an alter in the middle of the living room. It's a wonder either of them had initially missed it.

Reaching down slowly to touch the withered pages of the grimoire, Caroline's senses were hit with a scent so overpowering she could hardly keep her footing. Images of the Salvatore woods, the feel of bark scraping against her back, fluttering leaves, the smell of his skin, of his blood, the feel of his fingers ripping open her shirt, of his stubble under her fingers, against her lips, everything about him came rushing to the forefront of her brain and she shut her eyes in an attempt to find the ground again and focus.

"You all right there blondie?" Enzo asked in concern. "Can't have you passing out on me just yet."

It wouldn't go away. _He_ wouldn't get out of her head. "Klaus," she whispered, eyes flying everywhere as if she expected him to step out of the shadows. Why here? Why Tom? Why now? How could she identify his smell? Or more like why? It must have been months since he was last here and all she can do it smell him under all the death. Oh my God, Caroline thought, Klaus killed Hazel.

"Klaus?" Enzo asked, confusion ever present on his face. "The Original? What's he got to do with any of this?"

"He was here," Caroline said, now sure of it. "He was here and he took Tom and oh my God I have to call Stefan." Nothing was making sense, every single thought she had was racing through her mind as she tried to understand, or really fathom, what this all meant. Connecting the dots was never fun when she only had a fraction of the information. And she doubted Stefan would know anything about this but he'd know better what to do and maybe he'd affirm that tiny voice in Caroline's head that kept calling her crazy.

It was one of those moments where Caroline's fingers kept fumbling and the call wouldn't connect right away and Sloan wouldn't answer Stefan's damn phone fast enough. "Is he dead?" Sloan greeted indifferently.

"No, I've hit a road block," Caroline seethed, suddenly wanting to rip the brunette's head off. "Put Stefan on the phone."

There was rustling in the background before Stefan finally came to the phone. "Caroline?"

"Stefan! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What's going on?"

"Klaus," Caroline deadpanned, hoping Stefan would connect the dots. Well, she didn't know why she assumed that because it took her a few seconds but it was easier than explaining everything that wasn't making sense in her head.

"What about him?" Stefan finally asked after a few moments of silence.

"He took Tom!"

"Oh-wha-Caroline, how do you know?" Stefan asked slowly, trying to find the right words and, sensibly, be the calm one in the situation.

"Because!" she exclaimed as if it were obvious before realizing, no, it was not obvious because Stefan has not slept with Klaus. Taking a deep breath, Caroline slowed herself down. "Because," she sighed, "I-I can smell him."

"Uhhh, okay, I'm not sure-"

"I slept with him Stefan! I know what he smells like! This is for real, Klaus took Tom."

"Yeah I know, but Caroline, if Klaus took him, he took him months ago. Scents don't linger that long."

"I'm on Stefan's side on this one," Enzo chimed in, in the background. "I'm can't say I'm in any mood to go hunting for an Original vampire either."

Turning around, Caroline shot Enzo a glare fiery enough to shut him up. "Stefan, you need to trust me. It's his blood, it's spilled somewhere here, I can smell it. And Hazel's dead. Those are serious signs of struggle if you ask me which is the definition of Klaus."

"Wait, Hazel, the red head? She's dead?"

"Throat ripped out and decomposing for months."

"Is that werewolf venom?" Enzo asked, more confused now than before, his nose upturned to sniff a few times more.

"Did Damon not fill you in?" Caroline cried. "He's a hybrid! See! Stefan, he was here, I know it."

"Okay, okay," Stefan sighed, "if he was, what does Klaus want with my doppleganger?"

There was a long pause on both ends of the phone before Caroline finally spoke. "You don't think..." she trailed off, unwilling to continue.

"No," Stefan said firmly. "I mean that's not possible, he needs blood from a human Petrova Doppleganger."

"Well, what if he doesn't?" Caroline inquired. "I mean seriously Stefan, we didn't even know you had a doppleganger until a few months ago when Silas showed his face. What if he just needs doppleganger blood?"

"Doppleganger blood is powerful," Sloan interjected. "It's possible Esther's spell had a loophole Klaus is trying to exploit to make hybrids."

Shaking his head on the other end of the phone, Stefan refused to venture into this illogical possibility Caroline accepted. "But that doesn't make sense, if he was making hybrids, wouldn't we know?"

"I hate to break it to you lot," Enzo interrupted, "but Mystic Falls is not the center of the universe. So no, you wouldn't necessarily know everything that was going on somewhere else in the world."

Grinding his teeth, Stefan refrained from saying anything to Enzo. "We can't know for sure if Klaus took him, either way."

"I know but Stefan, come on, this is our only lead."

Stefan sighed, a deep contemplative one that had Sloan glaring at his indecision. "Caroline, are you positive?" he finally asked.

She took one more deep breath and let her vampire senses seek their way through every scent in her immediate vicinity before it fell on the faint, but lingering, scent of the Original's blood. If she focused, her senses took her to a deep red rose image in the carpet. That's where it was, camouflaged. How convenient. And with its location came another onslaught of memories she quickly squashed. "I'm positive. One other thing's for sure though," she paused, "if Tom is alive, he's well protected." Caroline sighed at how complicated everything suddenly became.

"Which means Klaus must be working with witches," Sloan added. "That's why we can't find him."

"Which basically means we're rerouting our trip to New Orleans."

"Wait, no, Caroline," Stefan started. "What if Tom's just dead? Why go to New Orleans if that's the case."

"If Tom was dead we'd know," Sloan added. "Find me the doppleganger Caroline and kill him. You're running out of time."

Choosing to ignore Sloan, Caroline continued to talk to Stefan. "I'm a big girl Stefan, it'll be fine. We'll go to New Orleans and I'll fix this."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry to all of you who have already read this. There were some typos and formatting things that were driving me crazy so I'm re-uploading the same chapter. Also, I may have revamped the Klaus scene a little bit, but nothing serious. Just some wording. **

"So, how exactly do you plan on fixing this?"

That was the last thing Caroline wanted to hear. Enzo talking. Having sat in her tiny Ford Fiesta with him for nearly three hours now with nothing but bad radio stations and her thoughts, the presence of someone else was grating on her nerves. The highway was nearly empty so instead of channeling her energy on road rage all Caroline's thoughts wandered to was how _was_ she going to fix this? Or what about if Tom was really there, then what? How could she kill him? And the ever looming question she didn't want to consider. What if she was wrong? How could she explain herself to a Klaus so insistent on loving her? A Klaus so sure of his future involved her when Caroline didn't even know what she was going to do once they got to New Orleans?

When night had fallen, she'd settled on the fact that she did not know and didn't want to think about it anymore. And she wasn't going to tell Enzo, or anyone else for that matter. She wasn't a dumb blonde, she knew what occasions would implicate her as such and how to avoid them. This happened to be one of them.

"You haven't got a clue, have you?" Enzo mused, throwing his head back in delight.

"No! What?" Caroline exclaimed. "I have a plan," she grated out in affirmation. "One I'm going to tell you about when we get there."

"All right," Enzo settled, not believing a word she'd said. "What can you tell me now?" He was met with silence and Caroline tightening her hands on the wheel. "How about Klaus?" White knuckles. "How's that fellow become a hybrid?"

"You really except me to believe that you don't know?" she scoffed, her hands relaxing as she shot him a disbelieving look.

"Well I have been locked in a cage for 70 years," Enzo replied, "have I forgotten to mention that?"

"Okay, all right," Caroline sighed, there wasn't exactly a newsletter that went out to everyone when it happened. "He's actually the son of a werewolf. So when he was turned into a vampire his mom, the Original witch, made his wolf side dormant or something. He came to Mystic Falls a few years ago and broke the curse. Now he's a hybrid."

"And what exactly does the doppleganger have to do with any of this?"

"Doppelgangers," Caroline corrected. "Klaus can make Hybrids with the blood of the doppleganger. But we thought it was just Elena's blood he needed. When she was human."

"And now that Stefan has got another, missing, doppleganger and you have a penchant for identifying Klaus's blood we don't know if he's making more hybrids, do we?"

She dismissed his mention of Klaus' blood and simply nodded. The less she baited him the smoother their trip would go. "When we get there and if there are hybrids, don't get bit. Their bites have werewolf venom."

"Deceiving creatures," Enzo nodded. "How fun." There was the briefest of pauses before Enzo attacked the elephant in the room. "Now, what's this about you sleeping with Klaus?"

If it weren't for her vampire abilities Caroline knew she would have definitely, accidentally, veered off the road in shock. "You can't just ask someone that!" she chided. "In case you don't remember, we're not exactly friends!" Yet deep down Caroline cursed herself for not seeing it coming. She'd gotten it from everyone else, why not Enzo too?

"Yes about that, you've already stated your disinterest. But why can't we be friends?"

"You're Damon's friend!" she cried. "A friend of Damon's is not a friend of mine."

"Isn't your best friend sleeping with Damon?"

Caroline was practically seething with annoyance. Who did he think he was? Just waltzing into Mystic Falls and assuming he could know anything about any of their lives? "For your information, Elena is having an ongoing issue with her poor lapse in judgment that I am praying to whatever Gods are out there will be reversed in due time."

"Yes, time," Enzo entertained. "Because time is such a finite thing to us vampires."

"Whatever," Caroline dismissed. "She'll come to her senses eventually."

"What have you got against Damon anyway?" Enzo asked, wondering what his friend had done to the blonde to not deserve her friendship.

"Damon is not one of the good guys. Elena deserves _so_ much better than him, okay?"

"I don't think he's one of the bad guys," Enzo pondered for a moment. "If there were such a thing, that is. Though he did leave me locked in a cage of a burning room, dooming me to be the Augustine vampire for another 50 years."

"See!" Caroline exclaimed. "Not a good guy."

"No," Enzo replied, his voice gentler. "He turned it off."

"That's not an excuse. It never is."

"You can't hold vampires accountable for what they do with their humanity off."

Caroline thought about that for a moment. In a way, yeah, Enzo was right. She never held Elena accountable for what she did while her flip was switched. She even stole her prom dress, but Caroline had forgiven that. And Stefan? He flipped his switch and left Mystic Falls for a joyride across country with Klaus and Caroline had forgiven that. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forgive, or ever forget, what Damon had done to her; how he's took all her control away, how he toyed with her, how he treated her like a pawn. The worst part is not knowing, to this day, if his switch was flipped or not.

"But enough about Damon," Enzo declared, deciding the conversation about his friend was over by the look on Caroline's face. "You still haven't answered my question. If you don't want to answer it," Enzo shrugged, "I can imagine a few scenarios. Compulsion?"

Though she was grateful Enzo forced her to drop her train of thought about Damon, she wasn't ready to pick up the one about Klaus just yet. Instead, she absorbed what he said and sent him a heated glare she hoped told him she had enough. But Enzo didn't stop talking. "No, no, of course not. How about a little blonde distraction gone too far? You seem like you could play the part well."

"All right enough!" Caroline snapped. There was no way in hell she was about to tell Enzo that Klaus was probably in love with her and she had no clue how she was supposed to deal with that knowledge when waltzing into the town he's probably made home by now. So she fibbed. What's the worst that could happen? Yeah, it could come back and bite her in the ass. But it only could, it was not a definite _would_. "He had an infatuation with me. We got it out of our system. End of story."

"Infatuation?" Enzo asked, eyebrows raised. "Now I've never met the man but I can't imagine an Original having a simple infatuation with you. Actually, I can't imagine anyone having a simple infatuation with you."

"I may be younger than you, but I will still kill you." It was an empty threat of course, she just needed him to stop hinting at the fact that she might be the only reason he's still on this mission.

"Now, I don't think you have the heart to," Enzo explained.

Clearly offended, Caroline asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"This mission, Caroline."

Caroline paused, not quite sure what he was implying anymore. She was here, wasn't she? "You're gonna have to say more than two words. I mean what? You don't think I'm up for this?"

"'This' being the cold-blooded murder of an innocent man? You can hardly say the word. How do you expect to actually do it?"

And that incited a fire in her Caroline never let burn out. No one told her what she could and couldn't do. No one. "I'm sorry, is this all supposed to be easy?" she asked incredulously. "You barely know me, so let me reintroduce myself. Hi, my name is Caroline Forbes and I am a good vampire, and I don't just go around killing people!"

"You've got me all wrong," Enzo sighed, shaking his head the slightest bit. "I'm not judging you. I'm preparing you." Caroline scoffed at that but let Enzo continue. "I've seen soldiers, men trained to kill, look their enemy in the eye and freeze up on the battlefield – a hesitation that usually costs them their lives."

She hated the way he was looking at her, like he knew this was some sort of twisted lesson she needed to learn. Like he'd seen the whole world and she had yet to see it. It reminded her of how Klaus looked at her. Except the chills that went up her spine with Enzo were from disconcert "Well, last time I checked, this isn't war and I'm not a soldier, but Stefan is one of the best people that I know and when it comes to saving his life, yes, I will do just about anything for him." She hoped she had said it in such affirmation that Enzo would back off. She'd been in such a confined space with him for long enough, and they were hardly done with their drive, that if he didn't stop talking soon she might even consider snapping his neck.

Somewhere along the way the conversation did finally stop and Caroline's gas light flashed on. They stopped off at a filling station where Enzo grabbed a quick snack from a compelled patron while Caroline waited patiently for the tank to fill, trying hard not to roll her eyes and silently praying whoever it was lived.

It was time for them to switch off drivers. Even though Caroline had no desire to let Enzo drive her car, or really put her safety in his hands and driving abilities (because really, he lived in confinement for 70 years, that's 70 years without driving practice), but Caroline was too tired and too hungry to get behind the wheel again. Her body would probably damage the car more than it would damage her in the case of an accident. She'd take her chances.

A blood bag later they were back on the highway. Enzo's driving abilities weren't as awful as Caroline had been expecting. Though the silence between them was occasionally stifling, she tried her best to nap over Enzo's humming 40's show tunes. "You're so old," she grumbled while readjusting her coat turned make shift pillow against the cool window.

"That's a compliment to us vampires you know," Enzo smiled, before continuing his humming and tapping his fingers against the wheel. Though Caroline classified him under pain in the ass, and she would have preferred doing this trip alone, she couldn't help but think he didn't make an awful companion.

* * *

Klaus had a dungeon. Much to Elijah's chagrin. He preferred the term basement or even cellar but his brother couldn't help but smile and remind Elijah that every King needed a dungeon. When Klaus had finally weeded out Marcel's informant from his own group of nightwalkers, he knew it was high time to put his dungeon to good use.

It originally was a cellar, a large one at that. Klaus had fitted the stone walls with manacles for any number of its uses. Now, a very bloody, very battered, and very young vampire hung from them, arms high above his head, and dried blood stuck to his torso in a rather horrific sight. "It's a pity really, and a gift, that vampires heal so quickly," Klaus thought aloud. "There are, of course, an endless number of ways to get information out of you but there are no real lasting effects," he sighed, running his finger over a blade covered in blood. The last of the vervain was nearly out of him, Klaus could tell by the way the skin on his finger only barely burned against the bloody blade.

Eyeing his handiwork, there were two stakes stabbed into his prisoner's upright forearms, Klaus sighed at the mess his blood was making. The cellar would no doubt have to be completely washed out. Bouncing quickly on the balls of his feet, he thought he may need a new pair of shoes now also. Torture was such tricky business.

"No matter, let's try again shall we?" Stepping forward with a smirk on his face Klaus watched as the vampire, whose name he can't quite remember at the moment-Robbie? Richard? Rowland? Rowland-squirmed and pulled helplessly at his restraints. Futile task, Klaus noted, it only prolonged the pain from his stakes. "Rowland. Where's Marcel compound?"

"I told you," he gasped, "I don't know." While vampires don't become exhausted in the same way humans do regenerating took energy, energy derived from blood. And since most of Rowland's blood was on the floor, though he hadn't quite desiccated, his body was functioning much slower than usual. And while he didn't need to breathe, he needed to breathe to speak or Klaus would puncture his lungs, again.

A blade struck his abdomen once again, slicing right through his liver and trailing off as a flesh wound in one quick flick. Crying out, Rowland gritted his teeth and braced himself from the pain that accompanied an organ's re-growth. The loss of blood made the process much slower than usual and much more painful as his liver drew all the blood left in his to that one spot just to regenerate.

"Now mate," Klaus sighed, stepping forward into his personal space. Blood and saliva covered Rowland's round, boyish face. No doubt he'd been turned fresh out of high school. His breath came out in wet pants as he avoided Klaus' deadly gaze. "You're making this all very difficult for yourself," he emphasized by sticking his blade into Rowland's chest, a mere centimeter from his heart. "Just tell me before I'm forced to compel you and I might just let you live."

Rowland couldn't help but laugh at that before gasping in pain. The blade was so close. He was young but he knew he was already dead, at Klaus' hands or Marcel's. "I told you, I don't know! He meets us in random places! It's never the same place twice."

"What is he planning?" Klaus demanded, twisting the blade ever closer to his heart. The answer to that question was the only one he cared for. He had an idea of where Marcel's compound was, the heart of his whole scheme, but it seemed foolish to have a prisoner and not take advantage of it.

Rowland cried out; spit flying from his mouth as he tried desperately to gasp for breath. "I don't know, I don't know; oh my God please don't kill me. I really don't know," he breathed out in quick succession. Klaus could smell the fear emanating off of his skin. It made him smile. Fear never ceased to thrill him. He's quite certain it never will.

Begging for his life, Klaus thought Rowland to be pathetic. Marcel never did choose his men wisely. And so Klaus compelled him, waiting to hear the truth. But alas, he received the same story. "He said he's not afraid of you. That he's not hiding. Just waiting for the right moment," Rowland relayed to him, monotone and blissfully unaware that he was mere centimeters away from death.

"Brother," came a cultured voice behind Klaus. It seemed nearly out of place what with the dungeon and Klaus covered in blood, none his own of course. "I think that's all our prisoner has to tell you."

"Elijah," Klaus sighed, pulling the blade from Rowland to wait for his torso to restore itself. "Must you always interrupt my fun?"

"Interrogating a spy is hardly fun."

"Well if it wasn't, I'd have let you do it brother," Klaus grinned, wiping down his blade one final time. At that very moment, Klaus was a sight to see. Blood was smeared across his face and dried into his beard. Splattered across his Henley, it looked like Klaus' torso had walked through a blood shower. His well tailored jeans too dark to show any telling signs of damage, but if Elijah knew anything about his brother blood would be splattered across his jeans the way paint is on a painters. "Don't worry Elijah, I'm all done. Simply contemplating what to do with him now." Despite the grotesque scene playing out before him, Klaus was ever calm, not even a hint of crazy danced across his eyes.

"What is there to contemplate? We have no use for him, he clearly knows nothing. Kill him."

"And you always wonder why Rebekah and I call you the bore."

Elijah rolled his eyes at his brother. "Whatever tactic you'd like to employ this time, do it soon. We have more pressing matters to handle."

"Oh but brother," Klaus smiled, "he's only just begun to beg." Behind him Rowland sucked in a harsh breath, refraining from whimpering. But Klaus heard his heartbeat speed up and couldn't hide his smile.

"If this prisoner is a flea you are so inclined to scratch, do so and rid yourself of it," Elijah advised, hands stuffed into his perfectly tailored suit pants. Though the night was ending, not a hair on Elijah's head was out of place. Always the perfectly put together Original.

"All right, all right," Klaus conceded after having finally decided how to dispose of his captive. "Now, Rowland," Klaus began his compulsion. "Return to Marcel, tell him of our little chat just now. Remind him I take no prisoners nor offer pardons. And then rip your heart out right in front of him." As Rowland came back to himself, he was startled, terrified, that he had to kill himself. But he said nothing, only collapsing into quiet sobs.

Klaus smiled at the fear on his face before turning back to a waiting Elijah. "I take it you can handle the clean up than?"

"Who else cleans up your messes?"

"Certainly not Rebekah," Klaus mused. "She can hardly clean up her own. Did you see the one she found today? He will surely be messy."

"I can hear you arseholes," Rebekah growled from stories above them. Elijah couldn't help but smile at the pleased expression Klaus wore.

* * *

Entering New Orleans, Caroline awoke with a start. It was late and nothing but darkness surrounded the road they were on. "Where are we?" she asked, her throat croaking in protest.

"Oh good, you're awake. I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to pick the dodgy motel to stay the night in myself."

"That's not an answer to my question," she groaned, stretching her stiff neck. "My God you can't see anything but the road."

"Interstate 10, we're driving over Lake Pontchartrain. You're bloody GPS keeps mumbling something about a Bayou, won't shut up about it."

Leaning forward, Caroline glanced at the sat nav and confirmed that they were to drive through the Bayou into the city. "It's just telling you what to expect next."

"Well tell it to stop," Enzo stated, clearly not well acclimated with the technology this century came with.

Sighing, Caroline leaned forward and pressed a few buttons on the dashboard to quit Enzo's whining. "Happy?"

"Very. Now where to stop?"

"I don't care, first motel you see. The blood bags need a fridge."

"As you wish," Enzo smiled to himself.

And they continued to drive, past the lake and into what Caroline know knew was the Bayou. If she wasn't a creature of the night, the darkness that engulfed them the moment the lake ended and the Bayou began would have given her some serious heebie jeebies. Looking out the window, Caroline couldn't help but feel disconcerted by the enveloping darkness contrasted starkly against the night sky.

Maybe she was just tired or the car was going too fast or anything really, but Caroline swore she saw something, or even someone, in the woods. Not wanting to alert Enzo because really, she just woke up, it could all just be in her head. Narrowing her ears outwards, she tried her hardest to hear anything in the woods, snapped twigs, feet, heavy breathing. Over the noise of her engine and the crinkle of rubber on tar, it was hard to make out much. But she didn't hear a human heart as far out as her hearing took her and she left it at that, simply noting the Bayou was a place to stay out of by sheer instinct.

It felt like forever before street lights dotted the side of the roadway once again. Enzo took a few turns as if he knew these roads like the back of his hands. "Have you been here before?" Caroline asked, puzzled.

"Once or twice over the years," Enzo responded. "Enough to know the perfect bar for a night cap."

"Motel first, please," Caroline sighed, trying her best to ignore that knot she felt growing in her stomach. The deeper into the city they went, the tighter the knot pulled. "Why are we getting so close?" She was perfectly fine with, exactly she might have even preferred, to stay on the outskirts of town.

"Nightcap," Enzo answered, shooting her a short smile to which Caroline scoffed. "And strategy."

"There's strategy involved in waltzing into the city probably ruled by the Original family and demanding the doppelganger they may have taken. Who knew?"

"Now, now, hear me out," Enzo placated. "We can't be too far out. I'm sure you'd like that but we can't be seen directly in the middle of it all either."

"Let me guess, you know just the place."

"Of course," he replied, turning right and crossing a bridge. "We stay out of the Quarter and get a feel for things."

"The Quarter?"

"The French Quarter, it's the heart of New Orleans."

"Okay," Caroline said, digesting the information and filing it away. She thought vaguely that she should have a good look at a map of the city before they venture out tomorrow, commit it to memory. "That was always the plan, just, you know, further away," Caroline grumbled, pushing her own thoughts away and refusing to argue. It was hardly midnight, and though she knew she should go straight to the motel, shower, and rest up, Caroline felt like she desperately needed a drink. All this contemplation about the Klaus situation and having Enzo around needed to be soothed with some liquid therapy of the intoxicating variety. Plus, her limbs had been cramped in a car for way too long; walking to a bar would be the perfect opportunity to stretch. She repeated this logic to herself while checking into their motel and squashed that sliver of excitement that escaped the knot in her stomach. She was in New Orleans, Klaus' favorite city, and she was on a mission to save her friend. She had to keep reminding herself of that last bit.

"Shall we?" Leaning against her doorframe, Enzo waited patiently for Caroline to grab her phone. With a fleeting thought she reached into her duffle and pulled out two small vials of vervain she'd packed. Tossing one to Enzo, she gulped down the liquid, ignoring the burn, before passing him on her way out the door. "Always prepared."

"We still don't know what we're walking into. I'm not getting compelled. I just want a drink and a lay of the land. We can deal with the rest tomorrow." Caroline was determined. This mission was going to be as cut and dry as possible. She'd make sure of it. All she had to do was fish out if there were hybrids in the city, find Tom, get him out of there, and not get caught. Simple. Sighing internally, she also knew she was so screwed.

Pushing that all away for now, she focused on the road they were on now. This bar Enzo spoke so highly of wasn't far. They had forgone the car and walked. Though neither of them said a word, Caroline's mind kept wandering back to Enzo and his presence. Eventually she couldn't even enjoy the architecture that surrounded her. She had to ask. "Why are you still here?" He seemed taken aback, as if this had been established already.

And he took the humorous route while answering, Caroline could tell. "I couldn't let you walk into the lion's den by yourself."

She tried so hard not to scoff. "This isn't about me," she said, her voice deflated. "Why are you still here Enzo?"

"Look," he started, standing up a little taller. "The Travelers saved my life, let me just finish this up here so I'm no longer indebted to them."

Caroline wanted to say something more but they had arrived. Pausing before the entrance to the bar, Enzo held the door open for her and Caroline realized there were things about Enzo she'd never understand. And while he was her companion on this mission, he wasn't exactly on her side. Stefan had said Tom was good, requested she not kill him. She'd let Enzo think what he wants but she knew she wasn't in New Orleans to take Tom's life. For some reason, she was beginning to see that's all Enzo wanted. So yes, he was her companion for the moment. But no, she didn't want to know anything about him, especially his reason for being so willing to take Tom's life.

The bar they walked into was raucous, gritty, and teeming with life. She felt entirely out of place until she heard the irregular heartbeats surrounding her. Few in the room were human. The ones that were seemed blissfully unaware of the supernatural creatures amongst them. Enzo headed straight for the bar and ordered Bourbon. It wasn't Caroline's poison of choice but with the day she'd had, she'd take it.

"What are you going to do when you see him?" Enzo inquired over his glass of whiskey before taking a generous gulp and dropping it back down on the sticky bar. He signaled for more before turning his full attention back to Caroline.

"I'll figure it out when it happens," she sighed before taking a gulp. It should have troubled her that she understood who he meant immediately. But it didn't. Who else would she be dreading to see? "If it happens," she decided to amend.

"Come on now, you really think you could avoid him?"

"I could try," she replied before throwing back the rest of her drink.

Their conversation ended abruptly when the bar door was thrown open and in rushed another group of vampires. To the humans, they looked like a group of rowdy boys looking for a good time. But Caroline saw the way their eyes narrowed, the way their shoulders straightened. They walked like they owned the place, or least the head of their group did. He had those broad football shoulders Caroline remembered so well from her cheerleading days, how she used to find that attractive.

Before she could zero in on any of their heartbeats, she and Enzo were confronted with a man with the whitest teeth and biggest smile Caroline had ever seen. And the most charismatic. And that already spelled trouble. "You guys must be new in town," he greeted. Leaning forward the slightest bit, he dropped his voice an octave. "I'm Marcel, I know all the vampires around here."

Caroline could see Enzo give Marcel the same once over she did. It was impossible to see vampire years but from the drawl in his voice, Caroline would guess he wasn't from this century. "Enzo," he stuck his hand out, figuring Marcel harmless enough.

Following suit, Caroline stuck her hand out, palm down, and flashed Marcel the smile she'd perfected from cheerleading and Miss Mystic Falls. "I'm Caroline, nice to meet you."

"Well Caroline," he smiled, grabbing hold of her hand and bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. "Welcome to New Orleans."

She feigned a blush and flirty smile when really all she wanted to do was rip her hand away and sanitize it ten ways to Sunday. But Caroline was a planner and right now she hadn't expected running into locals. On the fly she decided she should appear as harmless as possible. The less everyone knew about their mission the better and smoother it would run.

Before anyone could say anything else, the leader of the pack of vampires that had just walked in came up next to Marcel and clapped him on his back. And that was the moment Caroline cursed herself for not being more aware, not listening to this mysterious group while meeting this incredibly happy stranger.

"Well, well, Marcel," he sang. "Klaus seems to think you're hiding. I'll be sure to let him know you're not as much of a coward as we thought you were."

Caroline had to visibly pause in order to not react at his name. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Enzo had noticed and hoped this new arrival to the conversation hadn't noticed and distracted Marcel well enough.

"Hello Elliot," Marcel sighed in greeting. Caroline was acutely aware of their body language now, attempting to assess friend or foe. So far she was at foe. Very much foes. "Doing Klaus' bidding I assume."

"Not really, just enjoying a drink," Elliot shrugged. At that moment the bartender decided to hand him his beer. Caroline couldn't help but notice his carefree confidence rolling off his shoulders. It bordered so close to arrogance she wasn't even sure if the line was there anymore. "And you know, just making sure there aren't any signs of mutiny in any corner of his kingdom."

Unable to help it, Caroline's eyebrows shot up to her forehead. Of course he'd call it his Kingdom, she thought. "I wouldn't be so quick to call it his kingdom, Elliot," Marcel stated, cutting off Caroline's train of thought and starting a new one. "We're at a bit of a stalemate."

"All right mate," Elliot chuckled, clearly mocking him. "Call it what you want."

"But never mind all that, I'm sure you guys don't want to hear about the issues us locals have," Marcel chuckled, brushing it all off and redirecting the conversation back to Caroline and Enzo. But it was too late; Enzo and Caroline were on high alert and made a great effort to hide it.

"Where are my manners? I'm Elliot," he finally greeted, his hand outstretched. "Welcome to New Orleans."

Being closest, Caroline took his hand first, flashing him yet another one of her smiles. "Caroline," she said, her smile faltering the slightest when she felt the warmth of his skin. A split second later she'd zeroed in on his heartbeat. It was steady but thrummed with a sense of life hers never could all the while beating exactly as her own undead heart did. Hybrid. She didn't know why she didn't notice it before. The blood drained from her face but she kept her composure nonetheless. Elliot was a wildcard, Marcel was Klaus' enemy, Enzo's intentions did not match her own, and now was not the time to forget that she was a drama major.

"So what brings you guys to town?" Marcel inquired, probably trying to assess friend or foe as Caroline had done between him and Elliot earlier.

She was in no mood for conversation at that point. She needed to be alone so she could plan, with color coordinated note cards and a big chart, maybe even a pro/con list so she could decide what the hell it was she was supposed to do here. So much new information hit her in the past minute alone; she didn't know how she was supposed to carry this charade any longer. Instinctively, her flight or fight response was kicking in and she was seconds away from flight.

"Just passing through," Enzo replied, inconspicuously eyeing Caroline carefully.

"Well I gotta let you guys know," Elliot said, "before you guys hit the hay wherever you're staying, the big guy, Klaus, he's gotta meet you."

"They look like they just rolled into town, let them rest up first," Marcel interjected. Under his concern Caroline could see a smugness in his eyes, like he wanted to defy Elliot or keep them away from Klaus. Or maybe he wanted to appear compassionate. Whatever the reason, Caroline was not buying it.

While Caroline-on-a-mission wanted to agree because she needed to gather her thoughts and figure out what the hell she'd even say to the hybrid first, she knew Caroline-who-could-flirt-her-way-in-and-out-of-anything needed to seem like she didn't mind, completely indifferent to whoever this Klaus guy was.

"Well I'm done here. Caroline?" Enzo asked, dropping his empty glass on the counter with a few stray bills, implying he didn't mind meeting Klaus now.

She wanted to shoot him a dirty glare because he knew. He knew how much Caroline didn't want to face Klaus though he never said it. Yet she refrained. There was only a moment's hesitation before Caroline forced a smile and agreed. "Just let me go freshen up really quick." Slipping away, Caroline found herself in a dirty bathroom that smelled so awful she had to hold her breath, not that that did any harm to her. It did however help her slow down her heart rate because the moment she walked away from the group she couldn't believe the mess she'd gotten herself into. And she'd been in the city barely an hour. This already seems like an awful idea, Caroline thought to herself while side stepping toilet paper on the floor.

Pulling out her phone, she did the only thing she could think of. She texted Enzo.

**C:** **What are you thinking? He's a hybrid!**

It took hardly a second before she got her reply.

**E: I've gathered**

**E: Time to put your wits to use blondie**

Blowing out a breath of air, Caroline could not believe her luck today. Stepping in front of the grimy mirror, she did actually freshen up because no one likes a gross vampire. Her hair was frizzy, and while her makeup was always intact now (hello vampirism), she really wish she could have redone it, and she smelled like her car. If she was going to waltz into Klaus's "kingdom" she was going to have to look pretty damn cute to get what she wanted. But none of these things could be helped now.

Taking one last deep breath, Caroline steeled herself for what was to come next before exiting the bathroom. Stepping back through the bar, she found Marcel was missing and she was sure it had to do with meeting Klaus. "Ready?" Elliot had asked, dropping a bill on the counter for his beer.

No, not at all, Caroline thought, but instead smiled and gestured ahead, "Lead the way."

**A/N Well this chapter is a monster, my apologies. But wow, guys, I'm sooo beyond overwhelmed at the response the first chapter got. Like seriously, thank you so much for enjoying my little hobby and I really hope I don't let any of you down in any sort of way. But just a disclaimer, there is that little chunk of conversation between Caroline and Enzo that belongs entirely to the CW, I just really liked it, it kinda helps define their relationship. Also, I'm still getting the hang of Enzo, I hope he's not too OOC for you all cause I wrote most of him before the last TVD episode with him in it came out. And I really, really hope you're all getting the vibe that Caroline is SOOO entirely out of her comfort zone here. But please, tell me what you think! And I'm in desperate need of musical inspiration so if any of you have any suggestions, please drop me a line! Other wise I hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Nik!" Rebekah called out, her voice echoing throughout the courtyard, bouncing off the stone pillars of the interior gallery. The nightwalkers, who were scattered about the courtyard playing cards or drinking for the hell of it, did not dare even dare look at the Original blonde. They knew better than to approach her when she was having a fit about Klaus. So they watched her stomp through the open area out of the sides of their eyes in an effort to find Klaus. In his study, Klaus internally flinched every time her stilettos nearly speared the marble floors. "Nik!" she belted, her voice reaching a pitch of annoyance Klaus knew she reserved for him and him only.

She found him nursing scotch laced with blood, no doubt scheming. "If I find another one of your imbecilic hybrids following me again under your orders, I swear Nik I will rip out their hearts and rejoice."

Rolling his eyes, Klaus turned to face his clearly irritated sister. When he met her steely gaze, he smiled. Nothing bothered Rebekah more than not acknowledging, or simply writing off, her annoyance. "You will do no such thing, little sister," he replied, slowly stepping closer to her and watching as she stood up straighter. Little Rebekah, Klaus mused, never going down without a fight. "I'm not quite sure if you remember why you are here, but let me remind you. We are taking back our home. And as Elijah likes to put it, we are attempting to be a family again by resurrecting Kol. If you wish to see the outcome of our plans in person I suggest you never lay so much as a finger on my hybrids."

"I will not be spied on Nik!" Rebekah screech. "I am here because Elijah insisted, not for some silly war!"

"It is not a war. I've already won," Klaus smirked, raising his glass of scotch as if to drink to it. "I have the witches' allegiance, the pesky wolves are out of sight, my hybrids stand by me, and New Orleans can be restored to its former glory. Only Marcel needs to be dealt with."

"Marcel is gone now; you can stop your scheming and focus on bringing Kol back!" Rebekah snapped, not wanting to hear another word of her brother's victory.

A flip switched in Klaus, the one that wanted blood. Leaning forward, Klaus growled. "This is the man who single handedly took everything that we built right from under our noses. The man who let us continue our lives believing him to be dead while we ran from Mikael in our misery." As he finished his face turned upwards in curiosity. "He used you Bekah; to get to me. You loved him and he used you. You should want this revenge. I dare say more so than I."

Indignantly, Rebekah crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "I want his head on a stick for breaking my heart Nik. And I want our home back. But I will not be followed or spied on." Because honestly, Rebekah didn't know if this was Klaus being overprotective or his way of saying he didn't trust her.

The glare that fell on her was not deadly but firm. "They are not spying, merely protecting," Klaus amended. "It is not unreasonable, nor unpredictable, than our family should be highly protected in these times. Marcel is still out there. We don't know who we can trust outside of ourselves."

"And why doesn't Elijah have one?"

"Because I don't need to worry about Elijah getting hurt or being a target."

"I can take care of myself Nik!" she glowered at her big brother.

"I have no doubt of that Rebekah but-" Klaus cut himself off from mentioning Rebekah's weak heart and instead shifting his attention to his hypersensitive hearing. People were approaching the house. One of his hybrids. A stranger with the tell tale heartbeat of a vampire. And a third, whose blood assaulted his nostrils so strongly the glass he was holding cracked. Her blood smelled absolutely divine but it was laced with anxiety. No one else would pick up on it but him, having been well acquainted with her scent and her blood. There was a sliver of pride in him that she had mastered hiding her emotions from others so well.

The stranger on the other hand was aloof. Caroline could not be here by choice, he decided. Not now. He knew she'd come, but not this soon. Not with a strange, male, vampire. And not while he was in the middle of finally making this town his home. Trouble always arose when the Originals settled anywhere, it never went smoothly. Caroline was supposed to come when Marcel was dead and New Orleans teeming with that life, culture, music, and art he promised, not when charred bodies kept popping up everywhere and the local government were delusional in their conviction they had a crime problem.

Klaus couldn't put a finger on this stranger she was with. It was a man. That he could easily identify. He was old. Old enough to train himself to keep calm and keep the element of surprise, but not old enough to entail much a threat to himself or his siblings. To Caroline, on the other hand, was another story. She must be danger. That's the only answer the question of this stranger held. The hairs on the back of Klaus' neck stood at the mere thought of Caroline being in danger. The possibility of it occurring now had his blood boiling. He found solace in knowing she was accompanied by one of his hybrids. Elliot. He was not an idiot, a wonderful leader actually. She was safe. Temporarily.

"What is it Nik?" Rebekah asked, bewildered at the cracked glass he held. She'd remember to berate him later for destroying yet another glass from their good crystal set, but right now his shoulders were tense and his ears were clearly elsewhere. Rebekah vaguely registered people approaching the house but thought nothing of it. Their home was the center of Klaus' "regime," as he liked to call it; people were always walking in and out of it; mostly from his inner circle, vampires and hybrids that he trusted. And suddenly she realized two of the people approaching were strangers.

"She shouldn't be here," Klaus growled, discarding the broken glass on his desk to be dealt with later. His palm had already healed; the blood was not an issue of import.

This "she" threw Rebekah for a loop. Who could Klaus possibly be talking about? "Well I didn't know we were expecting company," she snapped, not liking how little he shared with her.

Klaus simply brushed past her. Of course she didn't understand. She wouldn't recognize Caroline. Rebekah hadn't quite cared for the blonde in question. Making his way towards the courtyard, he murmured darkly, "Caroline is here."

"The cheerleader?" Rebekah asked incredulously, following her brother. "From Mystic Falls? What in the bloody hell would she be doing here Nik?"

"I don't know dear Bekah and that is exactly what I intend to find out," he replied, his voice curt and uncaring. Rebekah saw his battle armor slip on and wondered how a cheerleader could work her brother up so much. It was near pathetic, but she knew better than to say anything.

Upon entering the courtyard, everyone stood. Klaus held back his smile at such respect, there were more important things to worry about than bask in his new found loyalty. "Apparently we are expecting visitors," Klaus greeted, a devious smile on his face, but it fell the moment his next words passed his lips. Clasping his hands together, he attempted to appear as calm as possible. "No one is to touch even a hair on the girls head. Surround the other one." No one asked questions, simply obeyed. Oh what'd he had been missing in Mystic Falls.

Elijah, who'd been strolling the upper gallery, looked down at all the nightwalkers, shoulders tense and intent on carrying out Klaus' orders. "Are we under attack?" Elijah asked, setting down his book before flashing down the stairs. "Again," he added in a bored tone while adjusting the cuffs of his suit.

"Hardly," Klaus replied, smirking as he focused on Caroline's steady heartbeat. "This should be easy. Don't work yourself up brother." The stranger she was with may have at most a hundred years on her, but he wasn't a match for any of the Originals or Klaus' hybrids.

And suddenly the gates opened, revealing Elliot leading a wary Caroline and an entirely too curious stranger. "Caroline," Klaus greeted, meeting her gaze and watching in delight at the way her blue eyes widened.

He didn't know what to call the feeling that had rushed through him at knowing she was alive, uninjured, and well, aside from looking like she needed blood and sleep. Despite all of that, she still looked so full of light. When she noticed the number of people standing at attention in the courtyard, the Originals standing together as if waiting for battle, he watched her stand a little taller and listened to her heart beat increase for a second before slowing, hardly noticeable to anyone else. There was a calculated look in her eyes as she surveyed the situation and Klaus smiled. She was so much like himself, she just needed to realize it.

"Wait, you know Klaus?" Elliot asked Caroline, breaking Klaus of his reverie as the gates shut behind them. "You didn't say anything." And before either she or Klaus could get a word in, Elliot had Caroline by the neck, pressed against the once open gates. "What are you planning? Are you working for Marcel?" he asked firmly, loosening his grip on her neck only enough for her to gasp for air.

"I-" she choked before Klaus finally sprung into action. Caroline did not need the oxygen, but he will not have her hurt. One of the benefits of hybrids is that they still had a pack mentality. Klaus was their alpha. And Elliot was not doing as Klaus wanted.

"ELLIOT!" he roared, golden eyes and fangs emerging. Elliot stopped immediately, dropping Caroline and stepping back like an admonished pup. Caroline could breathe again; Klaus could hear the harsh breaths pushing through her lungs

"He is your concern, not her," Klaus amended, his voice a low growl as his gaze flicked to the brunette vampire that accompanied Caroline.

"He happens to be Enzo," he clarified, calling attention to himself while eyeing the hybrids that had practically surrounded him. "These are the hybrids you were speaking of?" he asked Caroline, not chancing a glance back at her, afraid one of them might snap his neck. Pathetic, Klaus thought to himself. If he was her lover he'd have difficulty refraining from remarking on her poor choice in men. He didn't dwell on the implication he himself had in that statement because he should have been her only choice.

"Yes," Caroline grumbled, rubbing her neck as it apparently healed. "Enzo's not a threat," she finally called once she realized Klaus' hybrids really were surrounding Enzo, ready to attack. "He's," Caroline paused, searching for the right word. Klaus unconsciously held his breath. "An acquaintance."

"Well love, here I was thinking we were actually becoming friends," Enzo smirked.

While he was pleased to know they were hardly friends, Klaus' blood boiled at that term. He didn't like anyone else calling her 'love', especially not this brunette with a shared accent. Jaw grounding together, Klaus said nothing of it. Finding out why Caroline was here and who this Enzo character was, was his top priority. Especially now that it has been revealed they are not friends and by Caroline's tone of voice, hardly acquaintances. She must know that all she had to do was say the word and Enzo would be dead before he could pronounce his short, silly name.

"Just stop talking Enzo and let me handle this," she ground out, clearly frustrated.

"And you've determined this yourself? About Enzo, that is?" Klaus asked skeptically, honing in on her erratic heartbeat and Enzo's entire lack of fear. It was beginning to frustrate the Original how little this stranger was affected by the gravity of the situation he'd found himself in. He was surrounded by Hybrids whose singular bite would send him into hallucinations so vivid he wouldn't know when he'd died.

"Yes, I have," Caroline answered defiantly, clearly not liking the implication. And that defiance sent Klaus into a whirlwind of questions, wondering if Caroline's anxiety actually had nothing to do with Enzo, but everything to do with seeing him again? He didn't know how to feel about that. That emotional indecision frustrated him. A glare set into his eyes, not directed at anyone in particular.

"Then pray tell Miss Forbes," Elijah finally interjected, "what brings you to New Orleans?"

Hesitation. That is what they were met with. If Klaus knew anything, he knew Caroline planned. She liked her plans and had backup plans for her backup plans. This led Klaus to believe she hadn't been expecting this at all. Had she assumed she'd stroll through New Orleans, completely avoiding him? Had she planned on avoiding him? He watched her eyes roam quickly, assessing the gaze of his siblings as they all fell on her, expectantly.

"I uh-well we need your help," she finally mustered up. 'We' struck a chord. Whoever Enzo was, Klaus wasn't finding him necessary.

"What, is Elena's life hanging in the balance again?" Rebekah asked, suddenly sounding very bored. "Cause if that's the case, need I remind you lot we left Mystic Falls to get away from your silly doppelganger drama."

And while Klaus would help Caroline, he couldn't help but agree with his sister's sentiment. Mystic Falls seemed to revolve around that silly girl. "In a rare instance," Klaus sighed, "my sister is right." Rebekah snarled at him at that while Klaus felt Elijah rolling his eyes.

"Our apologies, but we can't help you. Our hands are currently tied," Elijah finally stated in finality.

That's not true, Klaus nearly shot out. How dare Elijah makes decisions about Caroline without consulting him? Before he could say anything on the matter, Caroline herself was already speaking. "It's Stefan."

That was definitely not Elena drama.

"Stefan?" Rebekah asked, her interested finally piqued. "What's wrong?"

"The Travelers, they have him. They'll kill him unless we give them his doppelganger, Tom."

Klaus's fingers clenched at his sides. She knew. Of course she did. How silly of him to think the tables were turning in his favor. If there was anything Caroline held in disdain more than Klaus himself, it was his hybrids. And Stefan, dear old Stefan. He liked him, held him in esteem like a brother at one point. Maybe this could still work out in his favor. He dearly hoped so.

Elijah sighed, taking the lead once again. "I see this conversation should be held in a bit more privacy. Please, join us for a drink and tell us everything you know."

Before following his brother, Klaus needed to deal with his hybrids first and their behavior to Caroline. "Yes, but Elliot," Klaus called, flashing in front of the hybrid. Reaching forward, he stuck his hand into Elliot's chest and gripped his heart. "Touch so much as a strand of hair on her head again and I'll have your heart for dinner." With that said, he released the grip he had on Elliot's still beating heart and pushed him away. He smiled at Caroline despite her very vocal protests. "That goes for all of you," Klaus reiterated before making to leave the courtyard, followed by a surprised Elijah who had remained to watch the show and an annoyed Rebekah.

"I saw Marcel!" Elliot called after them, halting Klaus in his steps. Turning slowly, Klaus' gaze fell on Elliot, demanding he explain. "He was talking to these two at the bar I found them at," he added, pointing his thumb at Caroline and Enzo. And that must be why Elliot attacked, Klaus deduced. While his intentions were good, Klaus would still make do on his promise to have his heart on a plate if he ever hurt Caroline again.

"Charming fellow, that Marcel was," Enzo piped up.

"He was trying to welcome us when Elliot approached us," Caroline stated.

Klaus drew a deep breath. No doubt he would have preferred to keep Caroline far under the radar and away from Marcel, but she didn't exactly tell him she was heading into town for him to take any precautions. "We'll talk more on the matter later," he finally said, turning around and heading back inside.

Enzo, from behind him, spoke to Caroline as they followed. "You may have wanted to mention he's in love with you." He heard Caroline scoff and quicken her pace. Though he still wanted to rip Enzo's throat out, he couldn't help but smile. Caroline was in New Orleans. Of course, under all the wrong circumstances, but she was here. And if he couldn't get her to stay, he'd give her reason to return one day.

* * *

Any and all of Caroline's plans had gone up in flames the moment she saw Klaus. And it mostly had to do with the way Klaus was staring at her now in his study as Caroline explained everything she knew and fibbed about the doppelganger all over the place. He hadn't changed, not that vampires really do change. There was still that air of danger that surrounded him, that confidence that seemed to be a permanent resident in his blood, but she still saw the good in him. Tyler had once implied that seeing the good in everyone was a flaw, but she'd be damned if anyone let her think that again. There was good in Klaus, she just didn't think he saw it, but it was there. Some days she wondered if he could show it to everyone, not just her, if it would change anything.

While answering their questions, she decided Klaus didn't need to know the Travelers wanted Tom dead, and Enzo knew better than to mention anything, sensing Caroline had some inkling of plan formulating. The one sure fire way to not get Klaus' help was to outright say their intentions were to kill his incubator for more hybrids. Enzo had picked up on that much.

She needed Klaus and the rest of the Originals to trust her. And she prayed Enzo would play along. As long as they thought she wanted to do a simple exchange however they wanted to go about it, she couldn't see anything going horribly wrong. Just let them think they have control. By the smirk on Enzo's face, he was probably thinking the same thing.

"How did the Travelers even end up in Mystic Falls?" Rebekah asked, her eyes trained on Caroline. She didn't quite like the blonde, and would never understand Nik's fascination with her, but if Stefan's life was at stake, she'd help her. In any way that she could without ending up in a box.

"I do believe the name Travelers is quite fitting, love," Enzo quipped, raising his eye brows at her. "They travel."

"Nik why is he even here?" Rebekah growled.

"I was just about to ask that myself," Klaus replied. "Care to explain Enzo."

"I owe the Travelers a favor. This is me fulfilling it."

"This whole situation brings up the question, how did Stefan manage to get himself captured by the Travelers?" Elijah asked, swirling scotch around in his glass.

"Caroline," Enzo said, turning the room's attention to her and prompting her to explain what mess her friends had ended up in.

Huffing out a breath of air, Caroline knew this was going to sound ridiculous. "There was some psycho scientist trying to get vampires to crave vampire blood so we can kill ourselves and he succeeded with Damon and Elena and the Travelers had the cure. So Stefan, being the great guy that he is, turned himself over to help the Travelers in exchange for the cure."

"And you know Tom to be here because?" Klaus finally asked. And Caroline saw the way his lips upturned and would not give him any satisfaction of thinking she was here for him. She was here for Stefan and that's it.

"The Travelers were doing this mind meld thing to Stefan's brain, which essentially fried it, and we went to Atlanta looking for him and found ourselves here," she answered, skirting over the process of realizing they needed to get to New Orleans.

"Yes, but how did you come to find that Tom was here, in New Orleans?" Elijah inquired, his eyes narrowing. "We have witches casting every protection and anti-location spell ever known to keep him hidden."

Enzo shot Caroline another look with a smirk. He'd come to find out Klaus was in love with Caroline and she apparently didn't reciprocate the feelings. How uncomfortable that must be. This is why he answered for her when it seemed she wasn't going to speak for herself. "Apparently Caroline has an affinity for identifying Klaus's stale, four month old blood."

At that, Klaus couldn't help but smile. It was not his genuine smile, no, it was his smug, 'let's celebrate the little victories', smile that had Caroline's blood boiling, at Klaus for being Klaus and at Enzo for being the most annoying person she'd probably ever come across.

"Oh this is pathetic, can we move on please?" Rebekah interrupted, not wanting nor caring to know what had her brother so giddy. "The Travelers will let Stefan go if we give them Tom?"

"Not so quick, sister," Klaus insisted. "Lucky for you lot, I have use for the Travelers."

"Niklaus, the witches are already-" Elijah spoke up but was interrupted.

"The witches are taking too long. The Travelers use magic than can be far more powerful. If anyone can do what we want, it's them."

Caroline watched the exchange in curiosity. They were planning something, apparently something big to warrant the need of the Travelers magic. "And what you want is?" Caroline asked, trailing off at the end of her question. He's already taken over New Orleans, what else does he want? All of Louisiana?

"To bring Kol back," Rebekah replied with a smile, obviously excited at the notion.

"So what? You're going to negotiate Stefan's life?" Caroline asked incredulously. She wanted to ask if that was possible, bringing back someone from the dead, but she knew from firsthand experience it was possible. But it came with a cost. Nature needed a balance. And she wondered briefly if they knew that, or if that was information the witches had withheld. It wouldn't be the first time witches tried to sabotage any vampire's plans.

"I'm going to get what I want and give you lot Stefan back. Let me speak to their leader. I'll have it sorted."

Caroline scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "Why do I get the feeling you have no intention of giving up Tom?"

"Now why would I compromise my army of hybrids because a deranged group of witches want him for whatever purposes they deem necessary?"

"He's still a person Klaus!" Caroline exclaimed. This is exactly how she expected him to behave. She didn't know why she even bothered. But she still did. "You know, a human who had a life!"

"Caroline," Klaus growled lowly. "Now is not the time to-"

"Yes, Niklaus is right, now is not the right time," Elijah interrupted, his tone firm and controlled. "Our guests look rather travel weary. Shall I have rooms drawn for?"

"We have a motel," Caroline answered curtly. "But thanks." Klaus' eyes narrowed and darkened at that, clearly not liking the idea of Caroline sleeping anywhere near the stranger he'd been glaring at all this time. And that was all the more reason for her to head straight back to that motel with Enzo.

"Nonsense," Enzo replied. "We'd love to stay. She's not exactly the best company."

"Well good, I've already sent out a nightwalker to discover where you're staying and retrieve your bags," Klaus affirmed, throwing back the rest of his scotch before pouring himself more.

"Wonderful, someone will show you to your rooms and we can discuss our course of action tomorrow," Elijah said with finality.

Caroline wanted to protest, to tell Klaus he couldn't just send out one of his servants to retrieve her bags and keep her here. But she had a plan forming. Staying close and finding out what Klaus had done to Tom, where he was, was better than observing from far away. Enzo's initial response at staying was correct. Better to stay close to everything now that they'd been invited. It was easier, even if she didn't want to stay under the same roof as the Originals.

So they all went their separate ways in hopes of better discussing everything tomorrow. Someone came to show Caroline and Enzo their rooms. Before settling in, or even glancing around the guest room, Caroline pulled her phone out once the door shut and she had an inkling of privacy. She shot a quick text to the last person on earth she thought she'd ever be texting. Because if she did have a plan, she needed to set it into action now.

**To Klaus: We need to talk. Without ears, especially not Enzo's.**

* * *

**A/N: I hope this initial meeting lived up to your expectations? If not, feel free to yell at me. And please do tell me if there's anything you want to see happen, I'm always open to ideas. That been said, I'm so super excited for what I have planned so far.**

**Again, you guys have blown me away with the response I've been getting. Thank you all so much. Your reviews and favorites are what's pushing me to post this now instead of next weekend even though I have midterms and research papers I haven't even started on due this week. So please, tell me what you guys think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I hate this chapter. It wouldn't write the way I wanted, it wouldn't flow the way I wanted and Klaus feels OOC. This is also the second draft. The first draft was an entirely different scenario that I was 3500 words into before deciding that wasn't working and I tried to make this work. So instead of putting it off any longer I'm just gonna leave this here for all of you to tear apart and tell me how awful it is. **

**Moving on, thank you all so much for leaving me reviews and favoriting this and following this story. You guys have really blown my mind. Thank you so much!**

**Also, I'm really sorry it took so long to update. Aside from how much I hate this chapter school hit me. I have finals next week so I'm hoping to get something out the week after that. Fingers crossed. I do want to finish TVD before I post anything else because I want to know what canon did with the Travelers and the Other Side situation. We'll see. If you think it's been too long since the last update, message me, I'll tell you what's stopping me. Now, on to the actual story.**

* * *

She had promised to meet him on the outskirts of town, just outside the Bayou. After the witches had turned on him, their alliance, however unwilling, became necessary. It was Marcel who rebuilt New Orleans as the supernatural hub of the U.S after the Originals left, he wasn't about to lose it once Klaus decided Marcel was playing with a toy he wanted.

So he made sure there was no one around except the few who remained loyal to him after Klaus dismantled his Kingdom and the wolves she brought along. For a wolf, she wasn't stupid. Despite being sworn enemies Marcel could admire intelligence in anyone.

Hayley approached as Marcel slid his diplomatic guise on and took his cue. "You're sure this is going to work?" he asked in lieu of a greeting.

He watched as she rolled her eyes and pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "If you're gonna doubt me the whole time then, no, it won't work."

"All right, all right," Marcel mocked surrender, all smiles and charm. "I just need to know how exactly this works, and if it will, before I snatch up one of Klaus' hybrids for a plan you put all your faith in."

Hayley stared at him. For all intents and purposes he was her last hope of making New Orleans a home for her family, her wolf pack. They would not live under persecution by any vampire any longer. "They have to change into a wolf. Repeatedly," she stated, hoping that was sufficient enough.

"How do we get them to do that willingly?" Marcel asked. He didn't care much for werewolves but he knew enough to know that changing meant breaking every bone in their body. It sounded excruciating.

"You said you were planting doubt," Hayley replied. "You just need one of them to realize they're not free and that we can give them freedom."

Marcel nodded, appraising Hayley. She appeared strong–determined–like this was her last chance. "You never answered my first question. How do I know this works?"

"I've done it before."

"Really?" Marcel chuckled disbelievingly. "You? You've unsired one of Klaus' hybrids before this unfortunate turn of events. Did this hybrid live to tell the tale?"

"Actually, he's the friend I called and asked to come help us. He's on his way if you wanted to ask him any questions when he gets here," Hayley bit back, arms across her chest.

Marcel paused for a moment, reevaluating Hayley once more. Apparently she'd gone up against Klaus before and had to have succeeded if she was still alive. He'd bite. "The Lockwood kid? So what? You planted a little doubt and he came running?"

"No, he hated Klaus before he was turned. But he broke the bond for a girl."

"So if doubt doesn't work, find someone they love?"

"Just find a way for them to see Klaus as he is, not who they think he is. I'll do the rest." She hesitated before continuing. "But yeah, if that doesn't work, we force them."

"And why should I trust this Lockwood guy? I've never met him."

"He's Klaus' first hybrid. Tyler will do anything to take down Klaus." _Even working with me_,Hayley thought to herself. "That makes him our most reliable ally."

Ally. The word struck a chord in Marcel. He had to visibly refrain from his self disgust at working with wolves. It slipped away quickly when he remembered the moment the city was his again, the wolves would be out of the French quarter for good. He wondered briefly as he examined Hayely's stoic face if she knew what allying with him entailed? If she was planning for him to turn on her? So he asked, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Every connotation that question could have, he meant.

Hayley didn't hesitate in response. "Yeah. I'm surviving."

* * *

As odd as staying in New Orleans was, Caroline had to admit one thing: the bed she slept in was like a cloud. So much so she almost managed to get some sleep. After someone brought her bags to her, Caroline pushed away all thoughts regarding how Klaus knew where she was staying or how his minions managed to get into the motel room. Instead she showered away the stress of the day, changed into her only change of clothes (which would become a problem if their stay lasted longer than she intended), and set her mind to organization. In the past hour alone Caroline learned more about the situation in New Orleans that her imagination could have conjured up.

Finding some paper stashed away in a small desk and a black pen, she set to work. Caroline was a visual person, she liked charts and infographics and most importantly, she liked order. Order meant things were under control. And when things were under control, Caroline could breathe easy.

Scribbling away, Caroline listed all the players in the game so far because she had a feeling things had become infinitely more complicated the moment she set foot in New Orleans. She came to the conclusion that Klaus was Klaus. He has Tom somewhere and she was intent on finding him (his name had a massive question make next to it Caroline idly retraced). There were an abundance of Hybrids (though Caroline cursed herself for not getting a head count). Rebekah and Elijah stood astutely at his side. The witches of New Orleans were apparently helping them hide Tom which had to mean he wasn't locked away in a closet on feeding tubes somewhere (hopefully). They were also helping the Originals raise Kol from the dead (and apparently if that didn't work out Klaus hoped the Travelers would do it for him?). But all that meant was that they must have done something to win the witches favor because if being friends with Bonnie taught her anything, it was that witches and vampires do not get along.

Along with that, Enzo wanted Tom dead at all costs to pay off this debt he owed the Travelers. Marcel apparently controlled the city before Klaus moved back to town and was now at 'war' with Klaus for New Orleans (though it clearly looked like Klaus won). Stefan was still being held captive. Her mom and everyone else in Mystic Falls still had no clue she was in New Orleans. Klaus and her would still probably have to face each other.

That was another reason why she was a relationship or single gal, hook ups were messy on their own. Throw in an Original hybrid and Caroline had the biggest mess anyone's love life had ever seen (well, maybe aside from the Elena, Damon, Stefan bizarro-ness that went on). Yes, this topped Tyler being sired to Klaus while they were together because every party involved knew where they stood. Now, Caroline didn't know what she meant to Klaus. More importantly, she didn't know what Klaus meant to her.

In the end, the page she'd written on was a mess of black ink, words and thought bubbles connected by swift strokes and long arrows. Vampires didn't get headaches but Caroline felt like her head might explode if she pondered the conundrum she'd voluntarily walked into for even a second longer.

Turning her attention to the room she was currently in, Caroline couldn't help but admire the way the room, and the house itself, appeared to reconcile the rich history of New Orleans with minimalist demands of modernity. Everything around her was light, airy, and old. It was a breath of fresh air and she couldn't believe it after only having seen a few streets and parts of this very old home. It was nothing like Mystic Falls she settled. It was darker. Just walking the streets earlier, even when she was escorted here, it felt different. Something thrummed in the very air of New Orleans and Caroline couldn't put her finger on it.

She'd spent hours tossing and turning after that. The bed was heaven, Caroline's mind just wouldn't turn off. She watched the sun rise wondering if she'd get any sleep throughout the day and tried hard not to laugh at the irony of her current sleeping habits.

When the sun was high enough in the sky she'd come to the realization that sleep was not coming. Coffee and blood would have to keep her alive. Having slept in her clothes Caroline wandered to her bag and dabbed concealer under her eyes. Any stress or weakness she had, she had to leave in this room. This was not Mystic Falls. It was not a revelation, she knew this. This was not Mystic Falls and she had no allies here and that would not dissuade her from saving Stefan's life.

Taking a deep breath, she left the haven behind and went searching for blood bags. It was highly unlikely the Originals would keep them on hand but she hoped whoever had gone to fetch her bags had checked the motel mini fridge for her own supply. And if they didn't, coffee would have to suffice until she found a local hospital.

Finding the kitchen was easy. What she found was harder to fathom. Klaus was cooking. Standing in the doorway watching his back as he cracked an egg easily with one hand, Caroline knew he realized she was watching. She wasn't at all surprised when he greeted her good morning, lifting his gaze momentarily to meet her gaze.

"I didn't know you could cook," came her reply as she side stepped the island to the fridge.

"Unfortunately love, there are a lot of things you don't know about me."

He'd lived a thousand years. Caroline was sure she'd never know everything about him even if she wanted to. Not bothering to answer him, she skimmed over the subject and reached for the fridge door. "Did your minions check for blood bags when they went to go get my stuff?"

She could feel the smile on his face when she pulled open the fridge door and found not only her blood bags from Mystic Falls General, but new bags from Tulane Medical Center. He'd gotten her blood bags. It was such a Klaus thing to do, at least when it came to Caroline, that it was almost annoying. It's like he expected her to stay longer than she intended.

"As you can see, my minions as you so pointedly called them, were asked to accommodate your dietary choices for the duration of your stay." He was so damn smug. Suppressing a huff, she reached for a bag from Mystic Falls and let the fridge door fall shut.

Uncapping the bag, a glass was slid in front of her across the island. She stared at it a moment before following the hand back that had guided it towards her. Catching his gaze, Caroline was finally struck by the situation. Klaus wore his dark jeans and a Henley with a cooking towel thrown over his shoulder. It was strikingly domestic. If she hadn't of known him, known what he'd done and what he was capable of, Caroline could see herself falling for this Klaus. The one who paints in his free time, who cooks, who adores his sister, who is well traveled, who is a gentleman, and who is determined to a fault. But he is Klaus. The Original Hybrid who specialized in terror and murder. She could never love that man.

Then her eyes fell on the glass. It sat in front of her, pushed towards her by Klaus who expected her to pour blood into it. She didn't even want to touch it. Pouring blood into a glass to drink felt like humanizing vampirism. While she was all about humanity, it didn't sit right with her. Glasses were a human convention. Vampires drank from the vein. She'd found a loophole and she intended to stand by it. Even if the look her gave her resembled a dare.

Pulling her from her reverie, Klaus spoke over the sizzle of eggs in a hot pan. "It's just a glass Caroline."

It was not just a glass. Shaking her head, Caroline stood up straighter and met his gaze. "Do you have coffee?"

He stared a moment longer before acquiescing, nodding over towards a coffee maker. "The cupboard above it."

She said nothing more, instead sipping from her blood bag as she perused his pitiful coffee assortment. When she couldn't hold it in any longer, she sighed in frustration and picked the first bag she'd laid eyes on. "You need more coffee. Actually, better coffee."

"Sorry sweetheart, unlike Stefan no one here finds any need to quell their thirst."

"This has nothing to do with thirst, this has to do with quality," she huffed, slipping past him with the coffee jug in hand to fill. "What are you making anyway?" she asked to fill the air. If she stopped speaking about the mundane things their conversation would lull and she'd be pulled back to their time together and where that really left them. Those were thoughts she didn't want to think. Not yet. Not here.

"A rather simple omelette love," Klaus smiled, flipping one in his fry pan for show. "I assume you'll have one."

She readied herself to decline but the smell of eggs and fresh vegetables assaulted her, changing her mind. Human food kept her vampire urges at bay, she'd learned that early on. As the coffee maker sprung to life she nodded and said, "Sure, just don't kill me with your cooking."

"I'm a fantastic cook."

Leaning over the counter, Caroline gave him a skeptical look. "You have to be bad at something."

"I've had a thousand years to perfect everything."

"I don't believe that's possible." His eyebrows shot up to his forehead as a smile tugged at his lips. He was daring her, _try me_, his face begged. He enjoyed this; how she challenged him.

Challenge accepted. Caroline decided to pop bread into a toaster sitting idly on the counter–because seriously, Klaus was not going to feed her an omelette without toast–as she pondered what must be difficult enough that someone would avoid learning for a thousand years. "Physics? No one likes physics unless they're a physicist. You can't have perfected that."

"As a man scorned for thinking Earth wasn't the center of the universe what with how self important humans can be, Galileo was rather eager to express his views to anyone who'd listen. So, I listened." As he spoke he slid his second omelette off a fry pan and onto a plate in front of Caroline.

She didn't know what to say. So she asked the silliest thought to come to mind. "You met Galileo?" Of course he did. He was a bajillion years old, he's probably met everyone Caroline learned about in school. Before he could say anything else, the toaster popped the bread up and Caroline reached for them quickly. "Okay, so you met Galileo. Big whoop. That's classic physics. Have you perfected modern physics?"

And Klaus laughed. He couldn't help it. "I'll concede. No I have not. The humanities kept me quite occupied over the centuries."

"Let me guess, you've met Shakespeare too and the conspiracy of his wife writing all his work is true. Or wait, better yet, Sir Francis Bacon."

Pouring her juice, Klaus simply smiled as if a secret lay upon his lips. "Women were not treated well in Medieval Europe. Rebekah hated it."

Her jaw dropped. "His wife wrote his plays?"

"Or perhaps it was Bacon. He certainly wasn't a dull man."

"Klaus," she snapped, not wanting to play his game.

"Caroline," he countered, smiling. It reminded her of the day he was her date to the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. His smile that day, it was effortless. She never saw it on his face again. It lived only in her memory. Until today. And try as she might, she couldn't not smile back at him because this Klaus was the Klaus no one ever saw. This was a Klaus she was beginning to believe he reserved only for her and what a thought that was.

Maybe she would have continued their banter because really she couldn't remember how long it'd been since she had a conversation so light but the smoke coming from next to the stovetop caught her attention . "Uhh Chef Klaus, are you burning something?"

He didn't need to look back, he knew what she was talking about. He was more caught up in her nickname, how it made him smile despite the clear mockery. "It's spelled sage for privacy. You mentioned wanting to speak without Enzo listening. Though I'm sure my cooking skills are on par, it was a simple rouse to not raise suspicions."

"And here I thought you were trying to make a girl breakfast," Caroline replied, a wry smile on her face as she stabbed at her omlette. Klaus waited for her to take a bite before making any comment and watched in delight as her eyes widened. It was amazing. Best omelette she'd ever had and seriously couldn't he be bad at something? "This is really good," she commented. "Not to inflate your ego any more though I don't know if that possible anymore. What is it that they're calling you, the King of New Orleans?"

"Rightfully so," he affirmed.

"Oh, really?" Skepticism was clear in Caroline's voice because all she'd ever known of Klaus was a grandiose arrogance.

Yet it didn't make him angry. Anyone else and he'd have them hanging by their throat until they understood that he was King and he could do whatever it is he pleases. This was Caroline. Curious, beautiful, lovely Caroline. He'd explain it all to her if she gave him the chance. "Well I did found this city as New Orleans and as the supernatural heart of the United States."

Caroline wasn't surprised anymore at anything he was saying. A thousand years was a long time, founding a few cities had to have occurred along the way. She wondered if it was boredom. "Is that why taking it back from this Marcel guy was so important?"

"Partially," he replied. Caroline was ready to ask another question but Klaus surprised her. He continued to speak willingly. "Marcel was my protégé, my siblings and I raised him from a child and turned him. To make a rather long story short, Mikael found us and we fled thinking Marcel dead. Imagine my surprise at discovering he was not only alive but thriving in my city."

"And this Marcel guy is who Enzo and I met at the bar last night?"

"Did he say anything to you?" What he meant was, did he do anything to you?

"No, he just came over and introduced himself. Creepy charming, all smiles and teeth. Elliot interrupted us. Him and Marcel had a little grrr moment about kingdoms and stalemates."

"It was smart of you," Klaus finally said after assessing what Caroline had told him with what Elliot expressed to him last night after everyone had dispersed. When Caroline gave him a puzzled look he continued, "Not mentioning me to Elliot or Marcel. It was a smart tactic."

She was taken aback. No one ever said that. In Mystic Falls she was blonde barbie, always a distraction or a tool. Stefan acknowledged her ideas but outside of him it was rare. "Thank you," she said hesitantly. She didn't want to think of her insecurities right now so she asked what'd been burning in her mind all night. "I still don't understand why a supernatural presence in New Orleans is so important."

"My siblings and I, we drew the witches to us when we began wreaking havoc. They said something about their endeavor to keep the balance and they never left. I built the supernatural presence, the freedom, here. It drew the werewolves and seers, even a few kitsune. And in my absence Marcel has done away with the coalition I'd built and destroyed the magic of this beautiful city. I intend to restore it."

"Coalition?" This surprised her. Klaus was typically an all for one type of guy.

"The Faction. We once lived in peace here," Klaus reminisced. "The witches, werewolves, vampires. Naturally we hated each other but Elijah pressed for tentative peace."

"I didn't think that was possible. Witches and wolves hate us. Well me, cause you're the Hybrid and all."

Klaus smiled ruefully. "It was possible. We were happy here. The witches practiced their magic, the wolves roamed the Bayou and us vampires kept our indiscretions as minimal as possible."

"So you basically created a United Nations of supernatural beings and Marcel threw caution to the wind when you left."

"Well that's one way to put it," Klaus chuckled. "It's no matter now. Marcel only needs to be dealt with. He's no longer a threat and New Orleans will return to its former glory."

"He doesn't seem to think he isn't a threat."

"Marcel has lived an insignificant two centuries off of everything I built. I created him Caroline. He's not a threat."

They were silent for a moment as Caroline absorbed this. It felt like she'd walked into the aftermath of a supernatural war that didn't feel over. It felt like it was just beginning. "But enough of Marcel and woefully fallen regimes. You had to tell me something."

"Right," Caroline replied, straightening up in her seat. "So you know the Travelers want Tom and they're holding Stefan hostage until they get him." Klaus simply nodded, waiting for Caroline to continue. He heard her heart speed up a little and understood this was something important, a game changer. Something Enzo could never know.

"Well the Travelers don't just want Tom. They kinda want Tom dead."

Klaus bit back a retort about finding themselves another doppelganger but it appears they already have. Watching Klaus's fingers tighten around his fork, Caroline continued quickly. "I don't know why Tom needs to die but I don't want him to. Stefan doesn't want him to. But Enzo will kill him the first opportunity he sees."

"Then we won't give him an opportunity."

"The Travelers have to think I'm helping them. Enzo has to believe that. For Stefan's sake."

"And you want me to believe you want Tom alive?" It was a double edged sword. Tom's death would mean no more hybrids. But she couldn't do that just as she wouldn't have killed Elena. So yes, she wanted him to know that she wanted Tom to live.

"I do want Tom alive. There's no reason for him to die."

"Very well. We'll keep up a charade where Enzo is concerned."

"And the Travelers?"

"I have no intention of killing Tom."

"Than what are you gonna tell the Travelers? Cause I'm pretty sure they're not gonna be happy with that. Or want to bring Kol back for you without something in return."

"The Travelers are not setting foot in my city until I know they are useful."

"You mean you're not letting them get anywhere near Tom." Klaus leveled her with a stare. "Where is he?"

"He is safe."

"That's not an answer to my question," Caroline fired back, sitting up straighter, breakfast forgotten. "Safe to you could mean locked up in a tower being drained of blood."

His face hardened. The judgment in her tone was expected, he assumptions, all of it. Of course Klaus, the monster of all monsters, would do something so terrible. "Caroline," he deadpanned, conveying that Tom's whereabouts were not up for discussion.

"Klaus," she countered, unwilling to take no for an answer.

Their conversation ended with the arrival of Elijah. A rather displeased Elijah who could not hear their conversation because he smelled sage. Eyeing both Klaus and Caroline, he wondered about the girl. Niklaus said nothing of her yet here he was making breakfast, enjoying a private conversation, and letting her, or what appeared to be, butt heads with him.

"Excuse me for interrupting your breakfast Miss Forbes but Niklaus and I have a matter to attend to with the witches."

"Please, call me Caroline," she answered, relaxing her shoulders she hadn't known she had tensed. She'd never met Elijah but Elena had trusted him at one point. She said he was a man of his word and so she would not be hostile. After all, he'd been the one to ask her and Enzo to stay last night.

Elijah nodded before turning his attention back to Niklaus. "Brother. I see you've made good use of the sage."

"Good morning to you too Elijah."

"I sincerely hope you haven't forgotten about our meeting with the witches."

"Of course not brother. I was just about to tell Caroline that I had an errand to run and that this conversation is over." His eyes fell on her as she finished speaking and she saw through his smile and shot him a glare that said no, this conversation was most certainly not over.

Eyeing the two curiously, Elijah made a note to ask Niklaus what it is he discussed with their house guest in the presence of spelled sage. "Excuse us Caroline. It was nice to see you again," Elijah bid adieu, his eyes scanning over her one last time before heading for the door.

Klaus followed, walking away from Caroline and the breakfast he'd made. Pausing in the doorway, he spoke lowly because he was not so much the monster she thought him to be. "You'd be pleased to hear Caroline, that the emergency room staff at Tulane Medical Center are very pleased with Tom's company."

* * *

**I told you it was pretty bad, wasn't it? I won't even ask for reviews it's just embarrassing. But I hope you all can see where the plot is going and if not, well I hope the next chapter clears things up a little bit. And I hope you enjoyed yourself even a teensy tiny little bit reading this.**


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